The Grandfather Clause?

[Adam West]

Did anyone on the board besides me get caught up by the "grandfather clause" when states changed the legal drinking age from 18 to 21?

I know it was 18 at one time in Maryland but don't know what year they moved it to 21 but it was well before my time. However, sometime in the mid-80's I think the Federal Government pressured every state to change the drinking age to 21.

Washington D.C. resisted until the very last minute and changed their law sometime in 1986 or 1987 from 18 to 21. I turned 18 in June of 1986 so they grandfathered me in, meaning that I could legally walk into bars or purchase alcohol in D.C.

I only lived 20 miles from the D.C. line and it was a rite of passage for those of us that were grandfathered in to drive over the line and purchase the first six pack on your 18th birthday.

It was an odd rule with the cutoff because I made it in but had friends who weren't much younger than me who weren't allowed.

I'm just curious if anyone else besides me also got caught into the age rules and had to deal with this "grandfather clause" that included some and excluded others?

[Bizarro Amy]

I had never heard of that. Of course, in 1987 I was 10. Shows how old some of you guys are

[toys2cool]

I had never heard of that. Of course, in 1987 I was 10. Shows how old some of you guys are

LOL! I was 7 sorry

[spiderrogue]

did you know that if you are in the armed forces, and arent 21, you can still get beer at army functions? when i was in boot camp, we had a huge rally type of thing on the army base(out in the woods, and all the different platoons, forces, etc were there)...and the few guys that i knew that were 18, got beer. even though the legal age is 21 in OK...go figure....and this was in 91 or so

[toys2cool]

did you know that if you are in the armed forces, and arent 21, you can still get beer at army functions? when i was in boot camp, we had a huge rally type of thing on the army base(out in the woods, and all the different platoons, forces, etc were there)...and the few guys that i knew that were 18, got beer. even though the legal age is 21 in OK...go figure....and this was in 91 or so

yeah I remember my sister telling me stories of that,not in boot camp but in the training right after

[Adam West]

I'm sure there is some sort of loophole for the military.

For example, if an 18 year old in the Army were deployed to Germany and on furlough, would they be allowed to follow local county law and consume alcohol there?

[grayhank]

Deleted

[Meule]

In 1987 I was 11 and also drank my first beer

[spiderrogue]

i dont drink beer...yuck...or any alcohol for that matter...when you are like 12 and your two older brothers threaten to kick your butt if you ever decided to drink or do drugs...well...sometimes, that's all that it takes not to do that stuff...lol...either that or i was really a wuss...the vote is out on that one, still....

[UnderdogDJLSW]

From one old Marylander to another: Yup. I was grandfathered in, too. Spent way too many nights in Georgetown. Then by the time I was 21 I was bored of the scene already.

[toys2cool]

i dont drink beer...yuck...or any alcohol for that matter...when you are like 12 and your two older brothers threaten to kick your butt if you ever decided to drink or do drugs...well...sometimes, that's all that it takes not to do that stuff...lol...either that or i was really a wuss...the vote is out on that one, still....

I never drink either,my sisters and brother could drink forever but I can't.First of all I hate it,don't like beer or anything else.The only thing I could drink are screw drivers and mojitos and not a lot of it

[Zemo]

In FL, I got the double grandfather clause. When I was 18 they changed it to 19. While I was 19 they changed it to 21.

[monkey tennis]

I did most of my drinking when I was in college...very rarely drink now...haven't been drunk in years.

[Meule]

haven't been drunk in years.

10 to 12 hours from now I'll be wasted

[Hulk]

I was sort of grandfathered in. I got my first fake ID when I was 14 that said I was 18 so I could take advantage of the change in age in NY in 1982. I had to get a new Fake ID when NJ changed its law. It was funny running around with 3 ID's in my wallet.